This invention relates in general to an electric connector for providing an electric connection to a sealed environment. More specifically, this invention relates to a seal for an electric terminal.
Sealed environments may be found in a variety of different situations. For example, sealed environments may be provided in situations when it is desired to work with high or low pressure fluids, or situations in which it is desired to isolate a space from outside contaminants Such an environment will typically include an enclosure that separates the sealed environment from the surroundings. These sealed environments may contain electric equipment that requires a connection to other equipment that is located outside of the sealed environment. For example, a piece of equipment inside the sealed environment may include an electric connection to a power source outside the sealed environment. This electric connection passes through the enclosure and introduces a potential point of failure for the sealed environment. Therefore, the electric connection itself is typically sealed in order to preserve the integrity of the sealed environment.
A particular example of a sealed environment is a vehicle transmission, which includes a transmission fluid that may be at a relatively high temperature and pressure. The transmission includes a housing that is sealed to prevent the fluid from escaping. The vehicle transmission may include electric components that require an electric connection to other components outside the housing. This electric connection is sealed in order to prevent the transmission fluid from escaping from the housing, and it is desirable that the seal remain in the proper position in order to maintain the integrity of the seal. Typically, this is accomplished by using adhesives to connect a seal to an electric terminal that passes through the housing. It would be advantageous to have an improved way of providing a seal on the electric connection.